Ohioans indicted on hate crime charge in black man’s beating

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Federal authorities say two white Ohio men suspected of a beating a stranger because he is black have been indicted on a federal hate crime charge.

The FBI says 33-year-old Charles Butler and 25-year-old Robert Paschalis were indicted Wednesday in Toledo.

A woman in the office of the defendants’ attorneys said the lawyers had no comment Thursday.

The FBI says the two Toledo men drove past the victim while he was unloading his truck May 18 and then returned and attacked him while yelling racial slurs. Court documents say Butler struck the man with a broom multiple times, causing damage to his eye.

Authorities say two off-duty state troopers happened by and pulled Butler and Paschalis away.